


carry me home

by digitalAlchemist



Category: Promare (2019)
Genre: Comfort, Death, Domestic Fluff, Emotional Hurt, M/M, Minor Spoilers, Nightmares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-14
Updated: 2020-03-14
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:14:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23143006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/digitalAlchemist/pseuds/digitalAlchemist
Summary: "I don't know why… I'm just repeating the same memories over and over." He sat up, hugging his knees into his chest. "I thought I'd gotten over this."Galo reached over, gently placing a reassuring hand on Lio's leg and rubbing soothing circles into his skin with his thumb. "Everyone heals differently. Some things take longer than others."Lio still has nightmares of his life before Promepolis, but now Galo's there to help soothe the pain and ease him out of the emotional trauma he carries.Please note - contains references to fire-related deaths and minor spoilers for the film.
Relationships: Lio Fotia/Galo Thymos
Comments: 5
Kudos: 92





	carry me home

**Author's Note:**

> This is my piece for the Spark of Hope charity zine, which donated their profits to NSW & QLD fire services in Australia to aid with bushfire relief.
> 
> This was also my first ever zine entry!! It was an absolute blast to work on, and such a wonderful cause to help with. I hope you enjoy this little slice of Galo & Lio's life after the events of the film.

_ The scent of charred skin and burnt wood filled the air, the pale light of the fire slowly dying away as it ran out of fuel to consume, like a ravenous beast going hungry. Lio blinked, sitting upright with a groan — his hand jumped to the back of his head, carefully cupping around a gaping wound at the base of his skull. He expected blood, but was surprised when a burst of heat cauterised it immediately, skin almost stitching itself back together without a trace of the injury ever being there. Lio looked around, taking stock of what he'd woken up to; the smoke was thinning, giving him a clearer view of the destruction. The destruction that he had caused. _

_ It came from nowhere — literally. One moment, Lio was grinding his teeth at some mild annoyance and then everything was razing pillars of blue and pink, too hot yet not at all. He had fallen backwards in surprise, cracked his head on the tiled floor and blacked out whilst the fire raged on without him. It had taken hold of everything and everyone in the building, leaving a smoking husk of an apartment block and at least a hundred fatalities; the screams of their last few moments rattled through Lio's skull, the only thing he remembered before everything went quiet. _

_ He blinked again, and he was suddenly staring down the broad, amber-wreathed frame of Kray Foresight; watching his smug smile as he pulled the lever to start the Promatech engine once again. Lio felt the flames being ripped out of him, like a plaster being pulled off your arm too slowly, and those screams filled his mind again as the machine whirred into life. It was absolute agony, being forced to relive the moment he was gifted the Burnish abilities in the same moment they were going to be taken from him by force. Lio gritted his teeth - forced his eyes to stay open and locked onto Kray, determined to stay strong for his family - but he felt his vision fade, black beginning to vignette his periphery, and a heartbeat later everything went dark. _

— ▲ ▼ ▲ —

He woke with a strangled gasp, knuckles white from gripping the sheets too hard and skin clammy with a cold sweat.

"Lio..?" Galo's teal eyes watched him in the darkness, flicking between his knotted eyebrows and his laboured breathing. "Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah, I think so." Lio swallowed, thick like syrup. "Just another nightmare."

"You're having them a lot again, aren't you?" Galo's voice was laced with concern, and Lio didn't like it — he hated making Galo worry about him.

"I don't know why… I'm just repeating the same memories over and over." He sat up, hugging his knees into his chest. "I thought I'd gotten over this."

Galo reached over, gently placing a reassuring hand on Lio's leg and rubbing soothing circles into his skin with his thumb. "Everyone heals differently. Some things take longer than others."

"It's been  _ months _ , Galo. We've rebuilt nearly half of the city, Kray's been shipped off to some secure facility in Europe and Burning Rescue is five times the size it was before." Lio sighed, pressing his forehead against his arm. "But I'm no stronger than I was back then."

"Hey, stop it." Galo recognised the start of a self-destructive episode when he saw one. He moved his hand upwards, brushing his fingers along Lio's forearm before carding them into his hair and gently scratching his head. "You're  _ so much _ stronger now. You dealt with the entire ex-Burnish housing situation by yourself, making sure everyone was accounted for. You're part of the team now," Galo nodded towards Lio's firefighter jacket, FOTIA emblazoned on the back, "and you've rescued your fair share of people. Don't beat yourself up so hard."

"I know you're just trying to make me feel better." Lio leant into Galo's touch, closing his eyes with another sigh. "I'm going to get a drink, I'll be back in a moment." 

Somewhat reluctantly he wriggled out from Galo's arm and shuffled off the bed, tugging Galo's hoodie over his head and smoothing it over his sleep shorts. 

"Go back to sleep, I'll try not to disturb you when I come back."

Galo opened his mouth to protest, but Lio had already left the room and closed the door with a soft click. He chewed his lip, hand already on the covers to throw them off, but decided against it. Lio had asked for a moment to himself and he was going to let him have it.

— ▲ ▼ ▲ —

Twenty minutes had passed, and Galo was still wide awake. He'd watched them tick by, the digits an angry red glow against the walls — 03:14. Galo hummed to himself, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and standing up with a yawn; it didn't take this long to get some water. He stepped into the front room of his apartment to find three things that had changed since last night: there was a faint smell of very strong whiskey, his coffee table was covered in sheets of paper, and Lio was cuddled into the corner of the sofa, crying quietly to himself. 

Quietly stepping around the documents that had fallen across the floor - he recognised them as the identification papers of the Burnish who had perished in Kray's engine - Galo stood in front of Lio, who hadn't acknowledged his presence yet. He leant down and carefully pulled the alarmingly empty glass of alcohol out of Lio's grip and set it aside, doing the same with the nearby bottle, before sliding his arms under Lio's and gently pulling him upright.

“It’s not your business, Thymos.” He spat, fighting back. His strikes were weak and lacked any real intent, so Galo just accepted the slaps to his chest until the anger drained out of him. He pulled Lio closer, moving one arm under his legs to lift him a little higher and Lio eventually took the hint, slipping his arms over Galo's shoulders and locking his ankles around Galo's waist. 

"You’re still strong, Lio, but you're not invincible. Nobody is expecting you to be." Galo's voice was barely a whisper, ghosting over Lio's ear. "It's okay to be weak sometimes. You can mourn your losses, you're only human after all."

Those were the words that broke the dam; Lio wailed loudly, fresh tears spilling down his cheeks and onto Galo's chest. He buried his head into Galo's neck, his whole frame shaking with each sob, and Galo's fingers were back in his hair, stroking gently through mint green strands. He cuddled Lio closer, shifting the arm underneath Lio to hold him a little more securely, peppering feather-light kisses to the top of his head. Lio's grip on him tightened as a fresh wave of sobs wracked his body, clinging to Galo as if he was the only thing anchoring him down, covering his shoulder with tears and snot as he continued crying.

"It's alright, Lio. You'll be alright." Galo kept talking to him, reassurances mumbled against his skin. "I've got you."

They stood like that for a long while, Lio's shuddering breaths eventually starting to calm down enough that he could respond. "G-Galo…"

"Hmm?" He pulled back a little so that Lio could look at him; his eyes were still wet, puffy and sore as if he’d been rubbing them too hard earlier.

"Thank you." He sniffed, swallowing around another weak sob. "Thank you so much." Another sniff. "And I'm sorry for covering you in…" He motioned to the mess of fluids covering Galo's arm. "This."

Galo chuckled, rocking Lio in his arms slightly. "Nothing a flannel and some soap won't fix, don't worry." He pressed a kiss to Lio's forehead, smiling. "You’re very welcome, but you know drowning yourself in whiskey won't make you sleep any better."

Lio blushed, screwing his eyes shut and turning his head away. "I… wasn't thinking. I just wanted something to ease the pain."

"Why are you looking at these again, anyway? Everyone's name was carved into the memorial plaque, you supervised it."

"It's not that, I know they're all on that list." He opened his eyes again, bloodshot and still full of sorrow — the bright pink of his irises had dulled into an inky copper, and that alone made Galo feel a deep twang of pain. "I was just… I knew them all. I watched them grow up, make friends, find partners. I protected them until I couldn't any more." He swallowed, and Galo thumbed away the lone tear that fell. "Meis and Guiera… They shot me into that volcano, got themselves caught so that I could finish the job I started."

"They're helping with the rehabilitation scheme, right?" Galo felt a little rude cutting in, but he didn't want Lio to spiral any further downwards.

"Yeah. Helping people adapt to life without the Promare, relearning basic skills like first aid. Things we didn't need as Burnish." Lio shifted his legs a little, thighs squeezing Galo's sides. "Aren't you uncomfortable like this?"

"Not at all. You don't really weigh much."

Lio tutted, shaking his head. "That's not… Never mind. Want to go back to bed?"

Galo nodded, readjusting Lio's weight in his arms and walking them both to the bedroom. He gently deposited Lio on the bed, ducking into the bathroom to wash his upper body before sliding in next to him. Rolling onto his side, Lio shuffled back into Galo, smiling when he threw an arm around his waist and tucked their legs together.

"Sorry for waking you up."

"Don't be, it's okay." Galo pulled him in closer, pressing himself flush with Lio's back. "We don't have to be up in the morning, so sleep as long as you want."

"I'll do my best." Lio reached down, threading his fingers between Galo's and slotting their hands together. "Sleep well, Galo."

"You too, Lio."

— ▲ ▼ ▲ —

Lio woke again to sunlight in his eyes; he tried to shift his arm to block it out but found it trapped under Galo, who had rolled during the night to sleep on Lio's chest. He smiled, carefully tucking wayward locks of Galo’s hair behind his ear with another glance at the clock — 11:25. Galo stirred slightly, opening his eyes with a groan and pulling a hand out from underneath Lio to rub at his face.

"What time is it..?"

"Almost half eleven." Lio kissed his head again, nuzzling into it. "Remember, we're not doing anything today. You can stay in bed."

Galo nodded, settling back against Lio. "Will you stay with me?"

"If you'd like me to."

"Yes, please." Galo shuffled a little to lean up and kiss his neck. "You're super comfortable."

"I'm not as warm as I used to be, I'm afraid."

"That's alright, I still love you as you are."

Lio caught himself blushing at the candid nature of his response. "I... love you too.” He whispered, smiling to himself. “You big dumb idiot."

"I'm  _ your _ big dumb idiot, and don't you forget it." Galo emphasised his point with a gentle prod into Lio's ribs.

"I wouldn't dream of it."


End file.
